Flume gate for cranberry bogs and the like



Nov. 21, 1950 FLUME GATE Filed June 21, 1947 v P. J. WHIPPLE 2,530,747

FOR CRANBERRY BOGS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 g i /0 ,7 1 3 2 Z4 Z2Nov. 21, 1950 P. J. WHIPPLE 2,530,747

FLUME GATE FOR CRANBERRY BUGS AND THE LIKE Filed June 21, 1947 a 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 21, 1 950 FLUME GATE 2,530,74r 7 FORCRANBERRY Boos AND THE LIKE o. Paul J Whipple, Plymouth,- Mass:Application June 21', 1947, Serial 151.6. 756,245

This'invention comprises a new and-improved fiume gate foruse inconnection with cranberry bogs and the like. I Operators of cranberrybogs are required duringthe spring and fall seasons to flood their bogsfrom time to time on very short notice in orderto protect the crop fromsudden frosts. It is also important to clear or drain the bogs promptlyas soon as the-danger of frost has passed.

The flume gate of m'y invention is designed to control these floodingand draining operations, and the'object of the invention is'to makeavailable acomplete self-containedflume gate construction which may behandled as a unit and conveniently installed at anyselected point in thedike which defines thebog or the reservoir containing the water supply.

In its preferred construction the flume gate of my inventioncomprises acircular-base and'a semi-circular body portion provided in its flat sidewith guide-ways for spill-boards that may face the reservoir, and in itscylindrical side with dischargepassages o'r'ports which may be led atanydsired angle to the adjacent bog; or bogs.

This construction has theadva'n'ta'ge of requiring a minimum amount ofmaterial and of disposing the spill-boards'where they can beconveniently manipulated at short notice. Preferably the walls at theopen or flat side of the flume gate will be -tiedtogether to provide asturdy structure, and guide-ways will be provided for one or moresets ofspill-boards within the body of the flume gate to determine diii'erentwater levels controlled by the respective discharge. openings.

Asan optional feature it is proposed to provide laterally extendingwings upon the exterior ofthe' flume gate to prevent muskrats fromburrowing about its periphery and cause serious leakage in the dike.

Another feature of the invention consists'in the provision of-a circularbase portion which not only lends stability to the flume gate as aWhole,

but serves "as a foundation and anchor when- 6 Claims. (Cl. 61-12) Fig.3 is a'view in longitudinal section on a smaller scale o n the line 3 -3of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section 0n the line 4-4 ofFig'. 2, I r I Fig.5 is a view of a double outlet iiume gate as seen from above, r

, lifig. 6 is a view of- 'a circular flume gateas' seen, from above, andp v Fig. '7'is a view of a circular fiume gate shown as installedin adike. p Y g The general topography of a cranberry bog area 'isfshown inthe plan of Fig; 1, in which the reservoir i0 forthe water supplyisf'bounded in part'by' a dike II which separates ther'ese'rvoirb from acranberry bog'IZ; lhis, in turn, is sepa- I rated from a second"cranberry bug is by a dike i4, and the second cranberry bog is shown asdefined in part by a' dike ['5 which separates it from a brook It towhich waste water is discharged when the'b'og I3 is drained. In itspreferred embodiment, the flume gate of my invention com} prises acircular cylindrical ba'se 20 from which rises an integral semi-circularbody 2|. The

walls of the semi-circula'rbody portion aretied together and braee'dbya; series of cross bars 22 which are herein shown as welded to theopposite" edgesof thewall' in uniformly spa ed relation.Flat'transversely extending wings '23 and 24 are formed integrally withthebody portion '2! or otherwise attached thereto, and these wingsextend continuously for thefu'll height of the fiume gate including'itscircular base 20; A tubular outlet passage 25 leads rearwardly from thesemi-circular face of thefiumegate ata level slightly above the baseZUasshOwn' in Fig. 2

Channel irons 26"eXtend vertically along the opposite-edg'es of the bodyportion 2| and thus provide guide-ways for transversely disposed spillways 21. I

In installing the fiume gate, the base 26 is sunk into the dike ll atthe proper height and may be anchored and stabilized by" a filling of,cement 28: Preferably and as herein "shown, the base 20 is perforated toreceive pipes or rods 29, disposed in a radial direction and projectingoutwardly from the base, and which may be cast into the cement 28.Preferably also the lower spill-board of the series is cast into thecement and thus a secure and water-tight joint is formed at the foot ofthe spill-board series. The flat face of the flume gate comprised by thespill-boards 21 will ordinarily be aligned with the contour of thereservoir l0, and the discharge passage or duct 25 will lead to the bogI2 Which is to be flooded. In practice, the spill-boards 21 willmaintain the reservoir ID at a convenient level. In case 0! danger fromY 3 frost, however, the spill-boards may be lifted vertically in theirguide-way to permit water from the reservoir to flow out and dischargethrough the outlet passage 25 until the reservoir is drawn down to thelevel determined by the remaining spill-boards and the bog covered withwater to a sufiicient depth. In all cases the spillboards check anydestructive flow of water into the hog and insure gradual floodingwithout danger of scouring.

etween the bogs l2 and IS in Fig. 1 is shown a second fiume gate similarto that already described except that it is provided with a second orauxiliary pair of wings SI and 32 disposed transversely and parallel tothe wings 23 and 24 but spaced from them so as to constitute anadditional obstruction to a burrowing muskrat.

In Fig. 5 is shown a fiume gate 33 similar to that already describedexcept that it is provided with two outlet ducts 34 and 35 disposed atsubstantially 90 to each other. The outlet passage 34 is provided with aseries of spill-boards 36 guided in vertical channel irons 31, and theoutlet passage 35 is provided with a series of spillboards 38 guided invertical channel irons 39. The fiume 33, therefore, is adapted tocontrol the water supplied to two separate bogs 4B and All and to supplywater at a different level to each bag since the discharge is controlledby the two :independent series of spill-boards 35 and 38. If desired,the fiume gate 33 may be provided with an intermediate drain passage 52disposed at a level below the outlet passages 34 and 35 and serving todrain the reservoir when the spilliboard 27 are entirely removed.

In Figs. 6 and 7 is shown a modified fiume gate (A3 in which the basesection 44 is extended in full 'circular cross-section to the top of thefiume gate. .The body portion is provided with oppositely dis- ;posedvertical channel irons 45 which provide guide-ways for a series ofspill-boards 46, the lower of which, as before, is set in the concretefilling of the base 44. An inlet duct 4'! leads in one direction fromthe body portion of the fiume gate 43 into the reservoir 15, and anoutlet passage 48 leads from the opposite face of the fiume gate in thedirection of the bog. It will be understood that water flows from thereservoir I!) through the passage 41 and then up and over thespill-boards and out through the discharge duct 48. As before, the waterlevel in the reservoir and the amount of water supplied to the bog maybe controlled by the number of spill-boards operatively positionedbetween the channel irons 45.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail certainpreferred embodiments thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. A fiume gate for use in connection with cranberry bogs and the like,comprising a circular, cement-filled base, a semi-cylindrical bodyportion rising therefrom, cross braces tying together 4 the oppositeedges ofsaid body portion, vertical guides disposed adjacent to theopposite edges of said body portion, and an outlet duct leading from thecylindrical wall of said body portion above the level of the base.

2. A fiume gate for use in connection with cranberry bogs and the like,comprising a circular base merging into a semi-cylindrical wall risingtherefrom, braces tying together the opposite sides of said wall,vertical guides for spillboards carried by opposite sides of the wall,and an outlet duct leading from said wall near its lower end.

3. A fiume gate for use in connection with cranberry bogs and the like,comprising a base section of extended area, a semi-cylindrical wallrising from the base, wings extending externally from opposite sides ofsaid wall, an outlet duct leading from the lower portion of said wall,and vertical guides for a series of spill-boards disposed at the openedges of the said semi-cylindrical wall.

4. A fiume gate for use in connection with cranberry bogs and the like,comprising a cylindrical vertically disposed wall defining an inletopening in one side, a series of spill-boards partially blocking saidopening, and outlet ducts leading outwardly in divergent relation fromthe other side of said wall near its lower end.

5. A fiume gate for use in connection with cranberry bogs and the like,comprising a semicylindrical vertically disposed wall having an openside extending from top to bottom, parallel guides adjacent to theopposite edges of the open side, spill-boards removably fitted in saidguides, outlet ducts leading outwardly from said wall near its lowerend, and separate sets of spillboard guides located at the entrance ofeach outlet duct.

6. A fiume gate for use in connection with cranberry bogs and the like,comprising a circular cement-filled base, an upright wall embedded insaid base rising therefrom to a substantial height and being at leastcylindrical in part, vertical channel irons extending along oppositesides of said wall, the wall defining an inlet opening in one side, anoutlet duct leading from said wall near its lower end, and a series ofspill-boards removably retained at the ends in said channel irons.

PAUL J. WHIPPLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

